What brings us together
by Inlovewithcomedy99
Summary: After her last visit, Mademoiselle Dutoit returns to Grantleigh to find Audrey and Richard still yet to admit their feelings and she decides to take matters into her own hands. To The Manor Born fic. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**This is basically an idea that has been floating around in my head for a while and would not leave me alone. Mademoiselle Dutoit returns to Grantleigh to find that Audrey and Richard are still apart despite being 'perfectly matched' and obviously in love. She decides to play matchmaker in a last attempt to bring the king of Cavendish and the ex-lady of the manor together. Will she succeed or will her meddling drive a wedge between them? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful characters or any other thing of To The Manor Born's; they belong to the BBC and Peter Spence. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**

**Enjoy (;**

"We will be arriving at Grantleigh Manor in about 5 minutes, Mademoiselle Dutoit."

Mademoiselle Claudine Dutoit looked out the window of the helicopter and watched as the English countryside passed by beneath them. She smiled softly as she thought of her destination and the occupants there. It had been several months since she last walked the halls of Grantleigh and although business between Cavendish and the Dutoit Empire was running smoothly, Mademoiselle Dutoit liked to keep close relations with those she did business with. Though, if she was being completely honest, her curiosity was getting the better of her. On her last visit, she had sown the seeds of what she hoped could be a potentially beautiful relationship and now she had returned to see whether or not it had flourished.

From the moment she'd seen Richard Devere's 'wife', Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, it had become only increasingly obvious that they both harboured feelings for each other, and as Claudine continued to observe the pair, she realised that it was the beginning of the most honest kind of love; the kind that lasted a life time. Admittedly she had tried to seduce Richard, after all he was a powerful and extremely attractive man, and was still fixed on doing so until she saw the way his eyes shone with pride and devotion when he introduced Audrey to her. It had been enough to show her that any attempts at gaining his affections would be pointless, after all, what was the point of trying to steal a heart that had already taken by another? Especially one that had been traded with another.

On the horizon, Claudine could just make out the shape of Grantleigh Manor standing tall and proud against its surroundings. Its darkened bricks weathered by centuries of harsh, English winters. Its halls decorated with the vibrant, and sometimes shady, past of its many owners; the latest to add his mark upon its hall of fame was Richard Devere, and how she hoped that it was joined to Audrey fforbes-Hamilton's.

**It's only a very short chapter to start with, however I wanted to 'set the scene' before I started with the story line. I wasn't sure what Mademoiselle Dutiot's first name was so I used the same one I saw in another TTMB fanfic (don't own it) so I'm not sure if it is her actual name or what. Anyway please leave a review and tell me if you liked it or what you think I should improve.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's the second chapter of 'What Brings Us Together'. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or To The Manor Born; they belong to the BBC and Peter Spence.**

As the blades of the helicopter slowed and its whole body gracefully landed on the perfectly kept lawn in front of Grantleigh Manor, a tall and distinguished man strode out of its oversized doors. His tall, athletic build and broad shoulders made him slightly imposing. His raven hair was beginning to grey at the temples, yet his neatly trimmed moustache remained untouched by these signs of aging. His rugged, good looks made him highly desirable to almost all women and his deep, chocolate eyes held a compassion and trustworthiness that was rare to find in the world of business. It was no wonder Claudine had found him so attractive. He smiled at her as he assisted her out of the helicopter. "Mademoiselle Dutoit, it's nice to see you again. I'm glad that you were able to make it."

The sincerity in his voice caused her to grin slightly. "I can assure you Monsieur Devere, it is a pleasure. Besides," she smirked, "It would be careless of me not to check up on my business dealings, would it not?"

He chuckled softly. "Of course, however I can assure you that everything is running smoothly."

"Well I shall be the judge of that." She teased him lightly. From the corner of her eye, she watched as a small smile curved his lips. They both walked in silence until they were shrouded in the shadow of the grand building, then Claudine turned to look at Richard Devere, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Will I be seeing your charming wife again?" She questioned.

He looked at her for a moment, his brow furrowed with confusion. His face then cleared with understanding and he chuckled, though Claudine sensed it was more strained than before. "Oh you mean Audrey." Although he tried to keep his voice light, his eyes betrayed a deep sadness. "She's back at the lodge, so I'm afraid you probably won't. But one can never tell with her." He changed the subject quickly. "Lunch will be served at one, to give you some time to get settled."

Richard showed Claudine to her room, and then left her to unpack. She was finished by about 12:30 and decided to wander downstairs and find something to do for the remaining 30 minutes until lunch. She walked along one of the corridors until she reached a door that was slightly ajar, light spilling onto the dark oak floor. She pushed the door open gingerly, revealing the drawing room. It was much the same as she remembered, same tasteful décor; deep, forest green settees, both facing each other with a small coffee table between them, and many other pieces of furniture, no doubt only the finest of antiques.

Sitting on the settee that face away from the elegant French windows, was a small, elderly woman. Her crooked fingers clutched tightly to her needles, as she rhythmically knitted, what looked, in Claudine's eyes, to be the start of a jumper. The older woman didn't seem to notice that she had company, so Claudine decided to make her presence know. "Bonjour." She said softly, hoping not to startle the woman.

The older woman looked up at Claudine and smiled. "Oh hello," Her voiced was laced with a thick European accent. "You must be Mademoiselle Dutoit. I remember you were here a few months ago."

"Yes, we only met briefly before I had to leave. Your Monsieur Devere's mother. I'm afraid that I don't quite recall your name though." Claudine smiled apologetically. She remembered before she left that it was mentioned that it was not Devere.

"That is quite alright my dear. It is Mrs Polouvicka." She said kindly, then gestured to the settee opposite her. "Please do sit down."

Claudine made her way across the room and eased herself gracefully into the soft, leather. "Thank you."

Mrs Polouvicka stuffed her knitting down the side of the settee and turned her attention back to Mademoiselle Dutoit. The younger woman looked at her then asked, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but did you get remarried after Monsieur Devere was born. I wouldn't normally ask but…" She let the sentence hang.

"Oh no, I never remarried after Bedrich's father passed away." Mrs Polouvicka gazed of with a slightly wistful expression on her face.

Claudine thought for a moment, confusion masking her face. "Pardon, but who is Bedrich?" She asked.

"Mr Devere." Mrs Polouvicka looked at her as if it was obvious. "His real name is Bedrich. We came over from Czechoslovakia in 1939. He changed his name to Richard Devere for business reasons. Apparently it is easier to pronounce." She scoffed.

"Ah I see now," Claudine grinned, "It all makes sense now."

Mrs Polouvicka smiled back, however she was more suspicious now. "So, Bedrich tells me that you are here to check over the business dealings between yourself and Cavendish. How long will you be staying?"

"Five days." She replied trying to remain polite, despite the sudden hostility of the other woman. "I have a number of things do, both business and personal."

"Such as." The other woman's words seemed to be laced with venom.

"Well aside from business with Cavendish, I do have other companies that I have neglected to visit. I also have several friends I've arranged to visit. Speaking of which, I was rather hoping to see Mrs fforbes-Hamilton again before I left."

Claudine watched as Mrs Polouvicka visibly tensed at the mentioning of Mrs fforbes-Hamilton. She watched as the older woman lent forward slightly. She opened her mouth to say something when the door swung open, and Richard Devere entered. "If you two ladies are ready, then lunch is waiting in the dining room." He said, giving no hint that he had heard their previous conversation.

"Of course." Mrs Polouvicka rose stiffly to her feet, and began hobbling out of the room. "It is about time to. I'm absolutely famished."

Richard laughed as he offered her his arm, which she accepted. He then turned to Claudine and offered his free arm to her. "After we have had lunch, we can then begin going over the details of the agreement and check over business dealings."

She smiled and linked her arm with his. "But of course. After all I need to give them my approval." As the trio made their way to lunch, Claudine wondered what had happened between Mr Devere and Mrs fforbes-Hamilton, that had resulted in the mere mentioning of her name, causing an atmosphere more frosty than that of a cold, English winter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or To The Manor Born; they belong to the BBC and Peter Spence.**

It wasn't until later that evening, after dinner, that Claudine had a chance to speak to Mrs Polouvicka alone again. They were sitting in the drawing room, enjoying after dinner drinks when Richard was called away urgently to answer a business call from Canada. There was and uncomfortable silence before Claudine asked the inevitable question. "Forgive me if I am being impertinent, but has something happened between Monsieur Devere and Mrs fforbes-Hamilton?"

Mrs Polouvicka looked at her innocently, but she saw the concern and worry swirling in the older woman's eyes. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Oh I don't know." Claudine shrugged, "Just the little things. You both tense up whenever I have mentioned her and Mr Devere changes the subject. He also seems more hurt, and upset, than when I last visited." She leant forward and looked the other woman straight in the eyes. "If something has happened, then perhaps I could help."

They sat, silently challenging the other, waiting to see who would back down first. Finally, Mrs Polouvicka looked away and sighed sadly. "I don't know completely myself what happened." She whispered. "They seemed to be getting on quite well. And then they had a row. I don't know what it was about or what started it, Bedrich refuses to talk about, and now they won't speak to each other. They won't even go near each other." Tears swelled in her eyes.

"How long have they been like this?"

"Oh almost a month now." She sniffed. "I thought that maybe it was just one of their usual spats, but they normally would have made up by now." Her thin lips twisted into a slight smile. "Whenever they have argued in the past, they make up within a couple of weeks at most. They can never stay mad at each other for too long."

"Except for now." Claudine sighed. _And they had seemed so happy together… _"And you have absolutely no idea what they were arguing about."

"No," she replied. "I was sitting down here when it happened. They were both up in his study; Audrey was already annoyed at Richard for some reason. Anyway she stormed up there and a few minutes later they were arguing. It was awful, Audrey was screaming at him, and even Bedrich was shouting back at her. I couldn't hear what they were saying and when I went to see what was going on, Audrey had run out and when she passed me, she was crying. Bedrich refused to speak to me and locked himself in his study for the rest of the day." Mrs Polouvicka paused to catch her breath; a few tears had escaped down her wizened cheeks. "Marjory Frobisher and I have been trying to patch things up for them and find out what happened, but neither will tell us. They hardly went out into the village for the first week, and now they act as if nothing is wrong, avoiding each other like the plague, but everyone can see that they are not their usual selves."

Claudine remained silent, listening intently to the story. She took the older woman's hand in her's, offering comfort to her. After the way they had behaved around each other last time, Claudine could see why they were both so distressed. She suddenly felt that she had to help them; she couldn't bear it if any chance of romance between the two was torn away from them so cruelly, before it had a chance to truly blossom into something beautiful. She looked confidently at Mrs Polouvicka and said, "I think that maybe we should join forces and find a way to get these two together again."

Mrs Polouvicka's eyes lit up with delight; however her face was still clouded with doubt. "But how? Marjory and I have already tried everything. They are still too stubborn to listen to anything we say."

"Maybe we are in need of a new plan." Claudine grinned. "But first we are going to need to find out what happened."

The older woman scoffed, "And how are you going to do that? They won't tell anyone."

Claudine gave her a knowing smirk. "You just leave that to me. I'll find a way. But first, I'm going to need to speak to Mrs fforbes-Hamilton."

**Thank you for reading. I'll try and post the next chapter as soon as possible. Please leave me a review and let me know about any comments or ideas. Thank you.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Mademoiselle Dutoit is at the door and wishes to see you. Should I show her in, madam?"

Audrey looked up from the social column that she was half-heartedly reading. She tossed it onto the small table that was beside the arm chair she was sitting in, and hoisted herself up. "Yes, show her in." She smiled, excitement lighting her eyes for the first time in weeks.

As soon as Claudine entered she noticed, from the subtle changes in Audrey's appearance, that she was as affected by the argument with Richard as Mrs Polouvicka had said. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, which had Audrey had tried to hide, and hidden in the depths of her ocean blue eyes, was the same kind of deep sadness that Claudine had seen in Richard's. She smiled at Audrey and stepped forward, clasping the other woman's hands in her own. "Mrs fforbes-Hamilton," she said, "it is wonderful to see you again. I apologize for dropping in unannounced; I'm staying a few days and simply had to pay you a visit before I became too submerged with my business dealings."

"Not at all." Audrey gave her a genuine smile. "It is nice of you to come and visit." She removed her hands form Claudine's grasp and gestured to the sofa opposite. "Won't you sit down?"

Once they were both seated, an uncomfortable silence settled over them. Their eyes' wandered around the room, desperately hunting for a topic of conversation to relieve them of this awkward situation. Audrey was the first to speak. "Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked, her voice unusually quiet.

Claudine was about to decline, however decided it would give them something to fill the silence. "Oh, yes please. Thank you."

Audrey stood up and went over to press the little bell that told Brabinger that she required something. She was sure he would already be preparing tea for her guest, knowing, as he often did, that she would ring for it.

She turned and slowly made her way back to her chair. A matter of seconds later, the door opened and the elderly gentleman, Brabinger, entered, carrying in his arms a silver tea set on a silver tray. "Your tea madam." He made his way to the centre of the room and placed the tray on the table that was positioned there.

"My," Claudine gasped in shock. "That was fast."

Audrey grinned with pride and replied "Yes Brabinger is very efficient. I can honestly say I don't know how I could cope without him." She gave him a fond glance as he left the room, bowing slightly with gratitude.

She moved closer to the tray and began pouring the tea. "Milk? Sugar?"

"Only milk please." They smiled at each other as Audrey handed Claudine a cup.

Stirring her tea, Audrey asked, "So what brings you back to Grantleigh?"

Claudine sipped her tea and then smirked knowingly. "Ah well, I have a few business deals to confirm with companies from around here. I also have a few friends that I have neglected to visit, but mostly it is to go over my dealings with Cavendish and make sure everything is running smoothly. So I am staying with Monsieur Devere at the Manor." She inwardly winced when she realised what she had said. _So much for breaching the topic gently._

Audrey's polite smile faded for a moment, but she quickly recovered herself and fixed it back onto her face. Her whole body tensed and her sadness seemed to scream through the cracks of her carefully constructed façade. "Of course. I'd completely forgotten. Richard, "She swallowed trying to calm her emotions. Her voice became weaker the more she spoke. "Richard said you were coming a few weeks back."

Claudine quickly gathered her thoughts. "Mrs fforbes-Hamilton, I know…."

"Cooee." A voice bellowed from the hallway, cutting off Claudine.

"In here Marjory." Audrey called back to the voice.

A woman of about the same age as Audrey entered. She had pale skin and golden hair that came down to her shoulders. Her beaming smile lit up the entire room as she skipped in, like an excitable child. "Hello Aud. Oh, I didn't realise you had company." She gasped as she spotted the auburn haired woman, who was now standing beside her. She recognised the face but could quite…

"Yes, Marjory this is Mademoiselle Dutoit, and Mademoiselle Dutoit this is Marjory Frobisher." Audrey introduced the pair.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs Frobisher." Claudine held out her hand.

Marjory seized it and shock it excitedly. "Oh yes and you. It's Miss though I'm afraid. I never married." Behind her joyful smile, Claudine saw a hint of bitterness at this.

"Ah well neither have I," She tried to reassure her. "There is still time though."

"Oh yes, quite, quite." Both proceed to sit down on the sofa. "Of course we have met before. On your last visit. It was only briefly though, everything was rather chaotic. Audrey introduced me as her at the time. I suppose it made sense though. I mean, I was spending a lot of time at the lodge. I had to look after Bertie, Audrey's dog. Because she was pretending to be Richard's wife."

"Marjory." Audrey's severe bark cut off Marjory's ramblings. "I'm sure Mademoiselle Dutoit does not want to listen to you ramble on." The cracks were steadily growing, more and more.

Claudine carefully watched the grand and proper English lady slowly fall apart. Beside her, Marjory wore a hurt look, mingled with a look of concern and sympathy towards her childhood friend. "Not at all." Claudine responded. She turned back to Marjory. "I do remember yes. It is nice to finally have everyone's identity cleared up." She joked lightly.

For the next hour, the three woman chatted, discussing interests, sharing stories from their pasts, careers (or lack of in Audrey's case, she insisted that running her ancestral home was a career in its own right). When Claudine looked at her watch, she realised how late in the afternoon it was and that she only had a short while to get ready for an exceedingly important business meeting. "I'm terribly sorry but I must be off. I didn't realise how late it was and I have a business meeting in a short while and I'm afraid I cannot be late for it." Claudine arose from her seat.

Marjory also hastily jumped up, glancing fretfully at the clock. "Oh god. I was only going to pop in for a few moments. I meant to ask you Audrey, are you doing it this year? We're in need of people to help out with the charity ball. It's in 4 days' time and we still have a hell of a lot to do. I'm just going up to the manor to ask Mrs Polouvicka if she'll help as well. Oh come on Audrey, please." Marjory practically grovelled at Audrey.

"I don't know if I want to. If I'm not even going to attend this year then why should I want to help? No I'm sorry; you'll just have to ask somebody else." She picked at a few loose threads, where her skirt was starting to fray.

"But, Aud…"

"That is my final word Marjory." Audrey shut her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

No more was said on the matter. They all said their goodbyes quietly and Claudine and Marjory made their way along the driveway, leading to the manor. "I know that Mrs fforbes-Hamilton and Mr Devere are arguing, and I would like to help if I can." Claudine whispered.

Marjory laughed humourlessly, tears swimming in her eyes. "It's kind of you, but I doubt that very much." She dabbed her eyes with her cardigan sleeve. "In all the years I've known her, I've never seen Audrey get so upset over an argument. Angry yes, but never like this. She rarely leaves the house anymore and seldom gets involved in any local activities or charity events, and she has always got involved with those."

"As I said to Mrs Polouvicka, we must find a way to patch things up between them. Together, the three of us will come up with a plan. We must remain positive that we will succeed."

Marjory stared at her, a small smirk played on her lips. "Well if you do succeed, the rector will be pleased."

"Pardon?" Claudine's face screwed up in confusion.

"We've never had a miracle in the parish before."

**There, finally finished. Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been distracted by another TTMB story that I'm working on (called breaking from traditions and it's posted under the new TTMB category for anyone interested). All comments, ideas and criticisms welcome, just leave a little review and let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

A soft breeze rippled through the strands of Audrey's hair, causing it to brush against her cheeks. She breathed in deeply, savouring the taste of the English countryside, enjoying a moment's solitude. Taking another breathe, she steadily made her way along the familiar path that lead to one of her most favourite places on the estate; Peregrine's Folly. It was here that Audrey had spent many hours thinking until her mind was literally exhausted, seeking comfort from the wildlife that surrounded her from birth. She spied the small building just ahead of her, and slowly clambered up the concrete steps, before smoothing her skirt behind her as she sat on the aging bench. She had once said that it was the best view of the estate, and sitting beneath the elegant Greek structure, she fell in love with it all over again.

Her mind began to wander as she watched the leaves dance in the wind, and she felt a slight twinge of guilt in her heart when she thought of the charity ball, and Marjory's plea to help. She knew, deep down, that she should have agreed to help; after all, she spent most of her time preaching to others the importance of helping with local activities, especially when those local activities were in aid of charity. _Noblesse oblige _was her motto, and right now she had failed to for fill this, letting her starched upper lip crumble and her personal problems to stand in her way.

A lump formed in her throat as she thought of said '_personal problem' _that had been consuming her thoughts for the last few weeks. Never before had an argument caused her such pain. Even her most heated arguments with Marjory, or her parents, or even her grandmother had never hurt her like Richard's words had. They had both thrown words at each other, like the sharpest of weapons, and in the end they had both been injured more than they would admit.

A single tear slithered down Audrey's face, soon to be pursued by countless others. What was it about Richard that affected her so? Being with him was as easy as breathing and yet he infuriated her like no other, causing her to admit things she wouldn't even admit to herself. Maybe it was time to…

A discreet cough brought her from her musings. Her head snapped up, and her eyes collided with the same rich, chocolate pair that had been haunting her since the first moment they entered her life. They stared at each other until Audrey realised that the signs of her previous outburst were still marring her checks. She hastily wiped her cheeks and converted her face into a hard glare. She almost felt it slip when she noticed the pain in his eyes. "I-I didn't expect to find anyone up here." He chuckled weakly.

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Well as you can see, I am here, and I came up here to be alone. So if you don't mind, since my solitude has been disrupted, I will be getting back. I have much to do." She rose quickly, yet elegantly, from the wooden bench and made began to make her retreat.

As she passed him, Richard reached out and gently grasped her elbow. She spun round and looked at him, her eyes widened slightly. "You don't have to leave because I'm here." He whispered.

"I think it would be for the best." She swallowed and carefully removed her arm from his grip and continued making her way down the cracking steps.

When she reached the bottom, Richard called out, "Audrey…"

"Don't." She snapped, without even turning round. "Just… Don't." And with that she sped away before he saw even deeper into her jumbled emotions, through the cracks that seemed to be appearing in her soul.

**Well here we go! Another chapter, I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. It's quite a short chapter because I am suffering from a major writer's block and I don't know when I shall be cured of it. Unfortunately future updates are possibly going to be far and few. Things are getting quite hectic and so I'm having very little time to continue with the stories I'm writing. Anyway, please leave me a review and let me know what you think. Your reviews really do help motivate me to write.**


	6. Chapter 6

**First, I want to apologise for how long it's taking me to update. Things have been quite busy and I keep getting distracted by other things, and also I have been a little stuck with this story, but I'm back now! So without any further delays, I give to you *drumroll* chapter 6 of What Brings Us Together. **

The next 4 days seemed to fly by. Plans for the charity ball had finally come together and it promised to be, if nothing else, and eventful evening. As well as this, the plan for getting Audrey and Richard together was already in fully swing. Mrs Polouvicka had insisted, very early on, that if they were going to patch things up, then they had to do it properly and simply getting them talking again was not properly. Claudine and Marjory had agreed, the latter being slightly more reluctant, that the best way to ensure that the argument ended was to get the two to admit their hidden feelings, not just to each other but to themselves as well. And the charity ball was the perfect time for the plan to take place.

Step one of the plan had been completed, almost, without a hitch. Richard had been quite easy to convince to attend the ball; as lord of the manor he was expected to attend these events. Also Mrs Polouvicka had forced him to go, giving him absolutely no choice in the matter. Audrey had been more difficult to convince, however once Marjory dropped the hint that she would be failing her duty and her _Noblesse oblige _motto, Audrey quickly relented, but not before a stern word or two.

Step two was more of a luxury than an essential. The day before the big night, Marjory and Claudine had dragged Audrey, quite literally, up to London in order purchase new dresses. Claudine had found a beautiful emerald dress, that was floor length and had long sleeves, made up an intricate lace pattern. She had quickly purchased the garment without so much as batting an eyelash at the price. Even Marjory had decided to splash out and be reckless, dipping into her savings to buy something especially for the occasion. She had found a pale pink dress that splayed out at the waist and came just past the knees. It had short, loose fitting sleeves and had a small floral design on the sleeves and skirt of the dress.

They had walked around for hours, searching for a dress for Audrey, however everything was either not to her taste or, secretly and more often, too expensive for her to buy. As time went by, she became more and more distressed at her current predicament, trying so hard to keep it hidden from her friends for the sake of keeping up appearances and to spare her their pity filled looks.

In the final shop they looked in, Claudine noticed that Audrey was not paying attention to any of the suggestions that Marjory was making in her ramblings, and kept glancing over at a particular gown that she had briefly looked at, shortly after they entered the store. Claudine looked at the dress, as Marjory continued to waffle on, and smirked as she ran her fingers over the silky material, _Mrs fforbes-Hamilton really does have impeccable taste,_ she thought. Picking out a size she assumed would fit; she made her way back to her companions and gave the dress to a reluctant Audrey. "Try it on." She said. When Audrey gave her a sceptical look, she added "What harm can come from trying."

Audrey yielded after an encouraging nod from Marjory, and disappeared behind the maroon curtains that lead to the elegant changing rooms. Once Audrey was out of sight, Marjory mumbled, "I hope she makes her mind up soon. My feet are aching!" And to prove her point dropped into one of the chairs facing the changing rooms. Claudine laughed and sat on the matching antique settee next to the chair. "I'm sure it'll be sooner than you think." Claudine said, giving Marjory a knowing smile.

At that moment, Audrey stepped out from behind the curtain and Marjory let out a gasp. "Oh, Audrey!" Even Claudine was pleasantly surprised. "Mrs fforbes-Hamilton, you look absolutely wonderful."

Audrey blushed lightly, and looked down at the gown, running her hands down it to smooth any non-existent creases. Although she would never admit it out loud, she felt more than wonderful. She felt beautiful. The gown was floor length, with a slash on one side that came to just above her knee, revealing a tantalising taste of her shapely legs, and highlighted every one of her curves without being distasteful. The thin spaghetti straps crossed over her back, exposing a portion of her creamy skin and the front of the dress dipped slightly, showing a modest amount of cleavage. Her sapphire eyes seemed to be illuminated by the deep blue material and shined with a greater brilliance.

"It is beautiful." Audrey allowed, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She had to admit, her eyes had been drawn to this particular garment within minutes of entering the store, and now she had completely fallen in love with it and knew it would was utterly perfect for her.

Of course there was the small matter of the price. Back before she lost the manor, Audrey wouldn't have fretted over a £60 dress, but now she had to economise and could not afford as many luxuries as in the old days. Besides, she had plenty of lovely gowns that she could wear, that were still in season. She sighed and looked at Marjory and Claudine, who both had already purchased their entire attire for the evening; accessories and all.

_I might be able to afford the dress. _She worried her lip as she thought. _Of course it would be rather a tight few months. _She internally shuddered at the thought of what would happen if it got out just how dire her situation was becoming. She smiled and nodded her head faintly. "I've made up my mind. I'll take it." And she headed back to the changing rooms, unaware of Marjory's shoulders sagging with relief.

Before removing the dress, she glanced at herself in the changing room's full length mirror, admiring how flattering it was. _I wonder what Richard will think of it. _She wondered, idly. She froze, halfway through unzipping her dress, and tensed up. She wondered what an earth had possessed her to think such a thing. Why should she even care what he thought? It wasn't important to her. Maybe once she had been…_curious _as to whether or not he found her attractive but now…it didn't matter. _He _didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore.

She hastily removed the dress and put on her own clothes, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks, desperate to get out of this store and back to the lodge, where she could fall into despair without having to worry about her well-meaning friends overhearing and realising just how fragile her façade of _the grand Lady of the Manor_ now was.

**Wow, I've just realised how much angst has been in the last couple of chapters, and I promise that things will lighten up soon. So we are fast approaching the big event, and with it the end of the story, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has left me a review and stuck with this story (Even though I am absolutely terrible at updating regularly). So there should only be about 3 more chapters (possibly 4 at most), and I shall really, **_**really **_**try to update sooner. So as usual, please leave me a review and tell me what you thought and I hope that you have enjoyed it so far.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! So I just wanted to thank you again to everyone who has left me a review and I'm just gonna get straight into the story because I think I've been keeping you all waiting for an update for long enough.**

The night of the charity ball arrived in a flurry of excitement and delight. Claudine surveyed the swarm of hypnotic colours of the elegantly dressed women, and their stellar partners clad in the finest of suits. Just like the people inhabiting it, the grand hall was decorated stylishly to commemorate the occasion. It certainly seemed that everyone had come, if only to show off their extensive wealth or a desirable 'friend'.

"I must say Miss Frobisher that you have outdone yourself. It seems that everything has been a success so far." Claudine said to the woman standing beside her.

Marjory blushed. "Thank you Mademoiselle, but I cannot take full credit. I had many little helpers who made this whole thing possible. I'm just glad that you decide to stay a few more days and were able to see it."

"Ah," Grinned Claudine, "Well I could not leave before we were able to complete our plan. Speaking of which, I have not seen either of them here yet." Her gaze swept across the room, seeking out Audrey and Richard, so that they could finally set the rest of their plan in motion.

Shaking her head lightly, Marjory smiled softly. "I visited Audrey earlier, before I came here, and she was getting ready. She said she'd be here before dinner is served. And Mrs Pou assured me that Richard would be here, come hell or high water."

Claudine and Marjory both chuckled lightly knowing this to be very true. There was a lapse in their conversation as a young waiter came over and offered them a glass of champagne, which they gladly accepted. Opting to continue with their compatible silence, both began to survey the room, admiring their surroundings. The continued like this until a voice from behind them broke through the light chattering in the background.

"Marjory, Mademoiselle Dutoit." Both women turned around to see Richard Devere and his mother approaching them.

"Richard," Marjory gasped. "You made it!"

"Yes," He chuckled, glancing at his mother. "I didn't really have a choice in the matter."

Mrs Polouvicka rolled her eyes at her son, resting a hand on his arm. "Oh, don't start Bedrich. It'll do you good to get out and support the community. Especially when it is for charity." She pointed a crooked finger at him and raised an eyebrow. "And you can also end this silly disagreement with Audrey; it is about time you two made up again."

"I knew there was a catch." Richard responded dryly.

"Now listen, Bedrich…"

"No you listen, mother." Richard finally snapped. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure, before continuing. "Stop trying to patch things up for us because it isn't working. Audrey and I will make up _if _and _when_ we choose. You don't know the full story so please just leave it be."

"Well maybe if you told us what happened then we could help…"

"Mother…"

"Mr Devere perhaps you and Miss Frobisher could go and get us all something to drink. I find my glass has depleted quite rapidly and you must try the champagne. Miss Frobisher really does have impeccable taste." Claudine interrupted, sensing that an argument was brewing and knowing fully well what the consequences would be.

"Ah well I can't take full credit you see, as I had a lot of help from the rest of the committee. The one to talk about good champagne is…" Marjory rambled as she and Richard walked over to the bar, not before Richard shot Claudine a grateful smile.

Once the pair were out of earshot, Mrs Polouvicka turned on Claudine and whispered heatedly, "What an earth did you do that for?"

"Because, Mrs Polouvicka, the best way to get them to make up is not to force them into doing so."

"Oh I see," She replied sarcastically. "And what would you suggest as the 'best way' to get them to make up."

Claudine considered for a moment and then answered, "We must organise a situation so that they are alone together. And was they are alone we must make sure that neither can leave before they have talked it out. They must be the ones to do the talking, else it is all meaningless."

Richard and Marjory returned with four glasses of champagne before the conversation could be continues, and handed one to Claudine and Mrs Polouvicka. "Here we are." Richard said as he handed a glass to his mother.

"We were just discussing how wonderful everything looks." Claudine said smoothly.

"Oh yes, you really have done an excellent job Marjory." Richard said, looking at Marjory with a half grin teasing the corners of his lips.

"Oh gosh." Marjory gushed dreamily.

"Ah look who has just arrived." Mrs Polouvicka all but cheered, pointing to the door. She had been scanning the room rather fervently during the conversation, and was now ecstatic to find the person she had been looking for had just arrived.

Richard glanced at the door curiously wondering who's arrival could have gotten his mother so excited, although deep down he knew, and his heart shuddered to a stop as he saw. "My God." He breathed quietly, so that the others could not hear him.

**I do so love cliff-hangers! They are an absolute pain to read but so much fun to write! I think we can all guess who has just arrived but you'll find out for sure in the next chapter, which I will be posting soon (hopefully). Thank you again for all you brilliantly wonderfully marvellous reviews, I enjoy reading every single one so if you get a chance to leave one, even a really short one, I'd be really grateful.**


	8. Chapter 8

"_**Ah look who has just arrived." Mrs Polouvicka all but cheered, pointing to the door. She had been scanning the room rather fervently during the conversation, and was now ecstatic to find the person she had been looking for had just arrived.**_

_**Richard glanced at the door curiously wondering who's arrival could have gotten his mother so excited, although deep down he knew, and his heart shuddered to a stop as he saw. "My God." He breathed quietly, so that the others could not hear him.**_

Unable to tear his gaze away, he marvelled at how beautiful she looked. Even from across the room, she was able to ensnare his attention simply with her entrance. The gown looked as though it had been made for her, highlight all of her assets, which in Richard's eyes she had many of, and revealing a teasing hint of her creamy white skin that he longed to feel beneath his fingers. He had no doubt that the azure material would make her cobalt eyes even more enchanting than usual.

"Mrs fforbes-Hamilton looks wonderful, does she not?"

He had completely forgotten the existence of the three other women, who were now smirking knowingly at each other. He did not see this however as he could not bring himself to look away from the ex-Lady of the Manor who had ,over the course of these three years, completely stolen his heart. Answering Claudine in an almost trance like state, he whispered "Beautiful."

Mrs Polouvicka patted her son's arm, hoping desperately that he might be willing to finally end the ridiculous feud. "Then why don't you go and tell her so?"

With a sigh, Richard finally looked away from Audrey and turned his gaze towards his mother. "Because we aren't speaking at the moment and you know it."

"Then it's high time you did." Came her reply. Her eyes were narrowed and her crooked finger pointed reprovingly in his direction.

"It's not that simple." He replied, trying his best to be patient.

"Then make it simple."

"Oh mother!" He cried in exasperation.

"Devere, good to see you here old chap! Didn't think you'd make it." The conversation was interrupted by The Brigadier, who clapped Richard on the back grinning jovially at the group. "Damn good party this, eh?"

"Yes, we were just saying how well Marjory has organised the whole thing." Richard smiled, relieved for the change of subject.

"Wonderful job you've done with the whole event Marjory." Marjory flushed under the praise and murmured a 'thank you'. "Actually Devere, I wanted a word with you. You see, the thing is…" The Brigadier said as he led Richard away from the group.

"So much for that." Mrs Polouvicka said dryly

"So much for what?" Audrey said as she approached them. She tried to make her approach look casual, but secretly she'd been waiting until Richard had left, trying her best to avoid him.

"Oh nothing my dear." Mrs Polouvicka waved away her question breezily. "You look absolutely wonderful." She added, changing the subject.

"Oh thank you." Audrey replied automatically. Mrs Polouvicka noticed with despair that Audrey's eyes appeared dull and lifeless and her whole demeanour screamed with the torment that she obviously felt inside.

She looked imploringly at Marjory and Claudine, hoping that one of the women would bring the Audrey they all knew and loved back from the desolate place she seemed to be residing. Her heart almost leapt with joy as Claudine gave her one brisk nod.

_It was time to set the plan in motion._

"Get Mr Devere to the small library on the other side of the house in about 30 minutes." Claudine whispered so that only Marjory could hear. "Mrs fforbes-Hamilton, I was wondering if you would mind giving me a tour of the house?" She smiled softly as Audrey snapped from her reverie. "You were such a wonderful tour guide last time."

"I'm afraid my knowledge is not as extensive as it is with Grantleigh," Audrey gave a small, genuine smile, appearing to perk up a little. "But I'd be delighted to."

"Splendid." Claudine grinned. "Shall we?"

"Oh yes of course." Turning to Marjory and Mrs Polouvicka, she added. "Would you care to join us?"

"No thank you, my dear." Mrs Polouvicka said. "You two go ahead, we'll circulate a little."

Once she had double, and triple, checked that neither of them wanted to join, Audrey led Claudine through the crowd of people to begin their tour, completely oblivious that Claudine had turned around and mouthed '30 minutes' to Marjory before re-joining her.

…**I'm really rather a horrible person, aren't I? I leave you with a cliff-hanger and then don't update for at least a month. I'm so sorry! I won't bore you with all the excuses I have about why I haven't updated recently, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I'm on holiday in a week's time (finally) so I'm hoping to catch up with all my stories and update the ones that need desperate attention. As always, please leave me a review and I shall hopefully update soon! (but I wouldn't hold your breath in case I don't!)**


	9. Chapter 9

"And this in here is the smaller library. It would have been for the family's personal use only. It's not as grand as the larger library at the front of the house, which would be used for social gatherings, but it does have a certain charm to it."

"It is absolutely wonderful in here." Claudine wandered around the room, entranced by the beautiful décor. Although much smaller compared to the rest of the house, it had a cosy and warm feel to it that seemed to be lacking in many of the other rooms and the deep reds and heavy, dark woods of the room gave a comforting feel to whoever entered.

_The perfect place to end a feud, _Claudine thought, an almost undetectable smile gracing her lips. She glanced over at Audrey, who had moved to stand next to the grand fireplace and was looking intently into the flames. "Mrs fforbes-Hamilton," She said, attracting the woman's attention. "Alas I'm afraid that nature calls…" She trailed off, feigning helplessness.

"Ah yes, of course." Audrey said, moving towards the door. "I'll show you where they are."

"Oh no, please." She said frantically, desperately thinking up an excuse. "I'd hate to inconvenience you anymore." As Audrey showed signs of protesting, she continued. "I'll only be a moment anyway. If you wait here, we can re-join the party afterwards."

"If you're absolutely sure." Audrey replied, her face showing her reluctance.

"Quite sure." Claudine smiled, "Up the main stairs and it's the third door down the east corridor. Am I right?"

"Spot on." Audrey grinned back.

"I shall be back shortly." Claudine said as she made her exit. Pausing as she opened the door, she chanced a look over her shoulder, relieved as she noted Audrey examining the antique books with her back to the door. With nimble fingers, Claudine grasped the key that was slotted firmly in the keyhole on the side of the room and noiselessly pulled it from the lock. Checking once again that she had not been noticed, she slipped from the room and made her way, hastily, down the corridor.

When she reached the end of the short corridor, she came to a corner that led to another corridor; to another part of the house. Turning the corner, she hid herself from view, peaking tentatively around it and watching for any movement in the, now deserted, corridor that led to the small corridor and to Audrey.

Several minutes passed and…nothing. Claudine's patience began to wear thin and just as she was about to give up, a shadow emerged from the opposite end of the corridor, growing longer and longer until its feet appeared, attached to an equally tall and imposing figure. Sinking further into her hiding place, Claudine watched in delight as the figure entered the small library, the door closing softly behind him.

Knowing that she would have to move quickly, Claudine leapt towards the door, sliding the key effortlessly into the lock. She turned it until she heard the sound of the lock snapping into place, revelling in the way it echoed around her. Smirking, she made her way leisurely back to the party, toying with the key that she was clutching so fiercely, it was beginning to bite into her palm.

With any luck, the key's services would not be required for some hours yet.

* * *

Audrey had always loved to read. Surprisingly, she was quite open to most books and would read almost anything she could lay her hands on, from romances to thrillers, from comedy to crime, she had read them all. She'd even read the occasional science fiction story (which she had secretly enjoyed more than she would admit to anyone). But she'd always hold a special place in her heart for the classics. She adored anything from Shakespeare to Dickens to the Bronte sisters.

Having been born into a well-bred family, she had unlimited access to all these books and more. Whenever she attended a party or social gathering, she always made a point to sneak off at the appropriate moment and browse through the enormous libraries, some of which rivalled Grantleigh's in their size. It was often deemed the highlight to what would otherwise be a dull and repetitive evening.

Of course she hadn't done that for the past three years. On the few occasions when she attended these events, she had become somewhat _occupied _with the company she was in. With the one whose arm she arrived and left on; the one she danced with and who captivated more than just her interest from the start of the evening, to when they bid each other goodnight on her doorstep (after he'd insisted on walking her right to her doorstep, in order to be the perfect gentleman that he always was).

But tonight was different. She'd arrived on no one's arm and would leave in the same fashion. She had danced with no one and had absolutely no desire to do so. So here she was, engaging in what was once her favourite past time, marvelling at the immaculately organised books. Unlike the other, larger library, it was quite clear that these books had been read a great many times in their lives, due to their frayed spines. She read the title and author of each one, many of which she had already read, and was delighted to find a few that she had yet to encounter. She made a mental list of the ones that she had not read, determined that the next time that she went into Marlbury she would purchase a few of these.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, as she stood in a world of her own. It wasn't until she heard the door click shut that she remembered Mademoiselle Dutoit and the rest of the world. Discreetly, she looked at the small ornate clock that was placed on one of the shelves, and was surprised to see that almost fifteen minutes had passed.

She turned, pleasantries that had been drummed into her from birth poised at the tip of her tongue. At the same time, the person who had just entered the room turned to face her and their eyes met in recognition, hidden delight, and dread.

"Richard?" Audrey gasped, hesitancy and nervousness halting her voice.

Richard's chocolate eyes melded with her own sapphire ones, causing her insides to tremble with a feeling that terrified her more than the thought of losing Grantleigh had. "Audrey." His voice was more guarded than it had ever been when directed towards her, and it brought her more heartache to her already broken heart.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, managing to salvage some of her composure. She could tell by the look on his face, he was wondering the exact same thing about her.

Their question was answered when the sound of the door being locked, resonated from behind Richard, trapping them in the room with each other and the one thing they both feared.

The truth.

**So I did actually manage to write some of what I wanted to but then didn't actually get time to post any of it. I've now finished writing 'What Brings Us Together', apart from a few little bits that need tweaking, but you'll have to wait for them because I'm not quite satisfied yet. As always, please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts on the story so far and stick around for the long awaited pinnacle.**


	10. Chapter 10

By the time Claudine re-joined them, Marjory was virtually hysterical with nerves. She'd tried to keep her mind distracted but no matter how had she tried, nothing occupied her thoughts for more than a moment. It was hopeless.

If truth be told, she was worried not only for her friend, but for herself as well. Nothing like this had ever occurred in all the years that she'd walked this earth and now no matter how she looked at it, there were only two possible outcomes to this situation, and both of those were becoming less desirable as she considered them more.

Firstly, there was the possibility that their meddling would cause more harm than good, and would be the final wedge that would tear Audrey and Richard apart once and for all. This would make life even more impossible than it already was, where Marjory would have to try and juggle a friendship with both of them without mentioning the other for fear of hurting them even more. Not to mention what it would do to Audrey and Richard, most particularly the former.

In the past few weeks, Marjory had watched as her best friend had begun to wilt before her eyes. It was like she was still alive, but not actually living anymore. She had seldom left the lodge, stopped getting involved with local activities and, from Brabinger's concerned account, she had cried herself to sleep almost every night. At least on the nights that Audrey actually managed to get to sleep at night. Marjory knew that Richard would be equally as distressed, but he could leave Grantleigh whereas Audrey never would.

And then there was the second outcome; Audrey and Richard would make up and admit their feelings for each other (because there was no way that they could get through this and remain just friends, as Claudine had confidently assured them). Of course this should be considered the more desirable outcome of the two, but it still brought a cold fear to Marjory whenever she thought about it, which she had done a lot of in the last couple of days.

She wasn't against the match exactly, quite the contrary, she wanted Audrey to find happiness and her Mr Right (God knows that Marton certainately wasn't even close), but she was scared of losing her oldest friend. She knew Audrey would never shun her completely, but she wasn't sure that their relationship wouldn't change if Audrey and Richard got together. Would Audrey still find time for her? Would she consider Marjory as a threat to her? Would she still treat her as the friend who had shared every laughter and tear since their school days?

"Did it work? Are they alone together?" Mrs Polouvicka all but leapt at Claudine as soon as she approached.

Claudine did not reply with words, simply holding up a small golden object that glistened dully in the light of the glimmering chandelier.

A key.

"Are you sure about this?" Marjory fretted, feeling all her previous worries rise up within her and closing around her windpipe. "I mean, Audrey's going to be no less than furious that we deceived her and then locked her in a room with Richard."

"Do not worry so much Ms Frobisher." Marjory felt a twinge of irritation at the woman's breezy smile and calm demeanour. Did she not realise how much was at stake? "If this goes according to plan, then I guarantee that Mrs fforbes-Hamilton shall feel nothing but joy for the rest of the year."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then that is a bridge that we will have to cross when we come to it." Claudine's carefree demeanour melted into a more solemn and contemplative one. "We cannot be the ones to end this disagreement. To be done properly, it is down to Mr Devere and Mrs fforbes-Hamilton to make amends with each other. The best that we can do is provide the opportunity for this to happen."

"I just feel that we have done so little." Marjory sighed in frustration. "How can you be sure that they will even forgive each other?"

"Because Ms Frobisher, the most undeniable of apologies," A sly smile curled Claudine's mouth. "is one that comes from the heart."

* * *

"It's locked." Richard sighed, giving up trying to giggle the door open. There was no point wasting his energy trying to open it, they weren't going anywhere for a while. Besides, there was no doubt that he'd need it to weather the storm that was brewing.

"What do you mean it's locked?"

_Here it comes. _"Somebody has locked us in from the outside, meaning that we can't get out."

"Isn't there anyway to get it open again?" Audrey's voice was beginning to crack, filling Richard with the desire to comfort her. He was sure, however, that she would not welcome any comforting from him.

"Not without a key."

"Oh well that's just brilliant then." She huffed, flopping onto the nearest settee in a very un-fforbes-Hamilton like manner. "We're trapped in here until someone comes and lets us out again, which will be God knows when."

Richard sat down on the opposite settee to her's. "What were you doing in here anyway?" He said, trying to take their minds off their current situation.

"Waiting."

"For?"

"Mademoiselle Dutoit if you must know. I was giving her a tour of the house and she needed to visit the ladies'." Audrey glanced at Richard from the corner of her eye with curiosity. "What about you?"

"Marjory told me that Lord Painsthwaite wanted to speak with me, and I was to meet him in the small library." He began to chuckle, shaking his head lightly.

"What's so funny?" Audrey felt herself growing more frustrated with the whole situation.

"Well isn't it obvious? We've been set up."

"By Marjory and Mademoiselle Dutoit?" Audrey exclaimed, quick to catch his meaning.

"And no doubt mother too." Richard agreed

"Well really. Why on earth would they do something like that?"

"To get us to talk to each other no doubt." Richard looked intently into her eyes, causing her to turn away in embarrassment. "Desperation makes people do otherwise foolish things."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" She quipped bitterly, refusing to allow him to reclaim her gaze.

"Audrey…" He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.

"No." She snapped. "There is no excuse you could give me to justify what you did."

"What I did?" Richard finally felt his patience snap. "What about what you did?"

"This is ridiculous. I don't have to listen to this." She arose from where she was sat and made her way across the room, towards the door. "We may be stuck in here but that doesn't mean that I have to speak, or listen, to you."

As she stormed past him, Richard jumped from his seat, grabbing her arm firmly and spinning her to face him. Her eyes widened as he took a step closer and tightened his grip on her. "Oh no you don't." He growled. "We're going to talk this out Audrey. No matter how much you huff and puff or grumble and yell at me, we are going to sort this once and for all."

**I had some free time again today (which was a nice surprise) so I thought I'd start working on the improvements that I wanted to make and post this for you guys as soon as possible. I'm kind of excited that the end of this story is nearing, but I'm also quite sad that it's nearly over. I've really enjoyed writing this and it's going to be quite weird knowing that I will no longer need to update this story anymore. Still, we've still got a little longer so I hope you can all still find the will to carry on with this story, and leave me a little review (;**

**You've all been wonderful readers and I can't thank you enough for actually showing an interest in this. xxx **


	11. Chapter 11

"I must say, that's a damned clever idea." The Brigadier guffawed once Marjory and, mainly, Mrs Polouvicka had finished their story. "Know ones situation. Tactics, eh? Could never seem to get the hang of that." He muttered the last bit mostly to himself.

"But surely you must have a little experience?" Arnold Plunkett, who also had been privy to the story, questioned.

"Not my line of things. Spent most of my life in the army!" The Brigadier cried indignantly.

Deciding it best to change the subject, Arnold turned back to Marjory and softened his voice as he addressed her, noticing her worry. "Don't worry, my dear. You did the right thing by getting them together."

"About time too if you ask me." The Brigadier added.

"But we're all ignoring the fact that this could all go very wrong." Marjory whispered with despair. "Audrey's a stubborn woman and not to mention the fact that she'll be fuming with us. You all know that she hates not being in control of the situation."

"Bedrich is a stubborn man too." Mrs Polouvicka piped up, gently patting the younger woman's arm. "I have no doubt that they will lock horns on many things in the future. But I'd rather they did so than carried on like they are."

"Then we better prepare ourselves for some ferocious battles." Arnold said trying to lighten the mood, raising his glass slightly. Despite this, the same thought echoed through all their minds.

_If this one is resolved._

* * *

"You're being stubborn."

"And you're foolish."

"I am not foolish. You were the one who overacted."

"Overreacted? I'd say that my response was completely justified, given the circumstance."

"There were hardly any 'circumstances'."

"Well if there wasn't then I wouldn't have overreacted."

"So you admit you overreacted."

"I didn't mean that."

"But you admitted it."

"I admit nothing."

"We're getting nowhere." Richard sighed in exasperation.

"Well at least we're talking." Audrey said. "I suppose their _plan _worked in one respect."

They hadn't just talked. They'd shrieked and howled and yelled at each other until they were too exhausted to stand, and so sat down (still on separate settees) and opted to continue their sparring at a more civilised volume. However, their more 'civilised' conversation was turning out to be just as heated, if not more so, than before.

"Then I guess we are getting somewhere." Richard murmured, a soft smirk tugging at his lips as he gazed into Audrey's eye. There was no denying the hidden message behind his words. _I miss you._

For the first time, in what had seemed like eternity to both of them, Audrey allowed a small smile to break free, lightening the weight that burdened their hearts for too long. "I guess we are." She whispered in return. _I miss you too._

Although propriety prevented her from doing so, Audrey had to admit that she enjoyed Richard's company, quite possibly more than anyone else's. Every time she rushed over to the manor, like a hurricane of tradition and indignation, she felt a flurry of excitement at the thought of seeing him again and, secretly, she enjoyed their sparring matches.

Sighing, Audrey looked down at her hands. She'd always been so sure of which direction to take; always knew what to do in a crisis. She was often esteemed on her ability to make decisions even in the toughest of situations, but know she felt an uncertainty creeping in. For the first time in her life she was unsure of what to do. On the one hand, her wounded pride told her to stick to her guns, she was the injured party and therefore he should be the one to apologise to her. On bended knee.

However, she knew that she had caused him injury too and, if she was completely honest, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. She was miserable, and fed up of others meddling and trying to 'patch things up' for them (even though she knew that they meant well).

After considering for a moment, she decided what she would do. She would break the habit of a life time, and quite possibly 400 years of tradition with it, and she would be the one to extend the olive branch and end this argument. She would swallow her pride if it meant that she could end all this suffering, because now she realised, she couldn't live her life without this infuriating man.

"Perhaps," Audrey said, her voice softer than Richard had ever heard before and although she seemed calm on the surface, the miniscule clenching of her hands showed him the torrent of emotions that were rampaging through her. "I did overreact a little bit."

* * *

Marjory almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of the gong, indicating that dinner was being served, vibrate through the room. She found herself unable to join the others in their festivities and joy and turned to Claudine Dutoit, chocking out with fear "They've been in there for nearly three hours."

"Oui. It'll be fine Ms Frobisher, I am confident that they are sorting their difference." Claudine smiled, beginning to follow the crowd towards the dining room.

"No you don't understand what I mean." Marjory placed her hand on the other woman's arm to halt her progress. "They can't be absent for the dinner."

As Claudine's eyes lightened with understanding, Mrs Polouvicka's became clouded and confused. "Why ever not? We should leave them to it."

"No, Ms Frobisher is correct." Claudine replied. "Their absence would be noticed."

"And you know how tongues wag." Marjory added.

"There is a saying in old Czechoslovakia," Mrs Polouvicka said, with an air of ancient wisdom. "The tongue that talks most, tastes least."

"I will go and let them out." Claudine said, unsure as to what to make of this 'old Czechoslovakian' saying. "I'll be about five minutes." And with that, the trio went their separate ways; Marjory and Mrs Polouvicka followed the masses towards the dining room, and Claudine went to potentially unleash a devastating storm upon them all.

**I know it has been absolutely ages since I last updated but this chapter has given me so much grief that I just had to step back for a while. Recently, I've lost all motivation to write and this chapter has just not been helping. I think this is about the fourth or fifth rewrite and even now I'm not happy with it, but I just don't have the energy to do it again. Because of the changes I've made to this chapter, I've deleted the ones I'd already done that were meant to follow this, as they just didn't fit anymore and it'll be easier just to start from a blank canvas. I'm hoping that now I've planned out how I'm going to end this, it shouldn't take too long to finish. I intend to have a cup of tea and then dive straight into it whilst the ideas are still fresh in my mind. Who knows, I may even finish another chapter today. Anyway, I'm gonna stop boring you with my ramblings and as always, please leave me a little review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

_**After considering for a moment, she decided what she would do. She would break the habit of a life time, and quite possibly 400 years of tradition with it, and she would be the one to extend the olive branch and end this argument. She would swallow her pride if it meant that she could end all this suffering, because now she realised, she couldn't live her life without this infuriating man.**_

"_**Perhaps," Audrey said, her voice softer than Richard had ever heard before and although she seemed calm on the surface, the miniscule clenching of her hands showed him the torrent of emotions that were rampaging through her. "I did overreact a little bit."**_

At that moment, Richard was surprised that his jaw hadn't fallen from its socket and clattered to the floor. It had seemed to have become a dead weight and dropped of its own accord, rendering him powerless to stop it.

He was speechless.

His mind seemed to be in overdrive; unable to form any coherent thoughts, or words, to help him process what had just happened. "Ah…what?-Audrey…I-" He heard himself stutter. Wincing, he prepared himself for her harsh retraction, knowing that he would only have himself to blame if the chances of a truce between them were dashed because he sounded like a bumbling fool.

But, much to his surprise, she didn't snap at him and instead she repeated herself , sound more confident as she spoke. "You were right, I did overreact and quite grossly at that too. I said some very unpleasant and cruel things to you, which I regret so very much, all because I was too short-sighted to see that you were just trying to do what was best, like you always do." The look of vulnerability in her eyes, something she had always hidden beneath a strong and carefully crafted façade, when she met his gaze was enough to physically move him across the physical, and emotional, divide between to sit beside her.

"Audrey," His heart quivered with relief when she allowed him to clasp her hands gently within his. "I should never have done what I did. I acted like a fool and even more so for the way I treated you. The last thing I ever want to do is to hurt." He looked at her earnestly, in a way that never failed to cause butterflies. "I'm sorry."

"I-I'm sorry too." Audrey whispered, her voice wavering slightly. When she felt passionately about something, she sometimes found it hard to lay down her arms and let go of the fight. She didn't know when to stop and on the occasions when she lost, it seemed to hurt her even more; just like when she lost the manor.

"I wonder if they'll let us out now?" Audrey said, glancing at the door but making no move to leave the settee. She was quite enjoying the privacy she had here with Richard.

"I imagine that they're probably sat at the keyhole listening." Richard chuckled. "They're probably too busy celebrating."

Audrey laughed along with Richard, pleased that they were finally friends again, until a small, scraping sound silenced their laughter. They looked over to the source of the noise, to see a small golden object being pushed underneath the door.

They were free.

* * *

Claudine had nearly broke out into a run as she travelled through the still unfamiliar corridors, searching for anything that seemed familiar to lead her to where Audrey and Richard were. She felt like she was on one of those game shows; the right door lead to the prize and she only had a limited time to find it.

At last, she recognised one of the corridors she had been down with Mrs fforbes-Hamilton, and from there was able to retrace her steps, soon finding herself stood before the locked door that held the ex-lady and present lord of the manor. Taking a breath, she leaned forward a listened silently, hoping to hear anything from within the room that might give an indication as to whether or not the plan had worked.

She blinked in surprise when she heard the sound of muffled laughter floating through the door. A smirk broke out across her face when she thought of the stunned look that she would no doubt receive from Ms Frobisher when she told her. With this thought in mind, Claudine carefully slid the key through the gap beneath the heavy oak door and quickly scurried around the corner to the hiding place she had used earlier in the evening. She crouched down and, with baited breath, peered around the corner waiting to see the couple emerge from the room.

The sound of the door unlocking seemed to echo through the silent corridor, and light spilled onto the wooden floor, and clambered up the wall and ceiling, as the door was slowly opened. The head of Richard Devere peered from behind it, glancing up and down the corridor only to discover that it was deserted. He emerged fully from the room, closely followed by Audrey and they both shared a confused look before Audrey began to make her way down the corridor towards the grand hall.

Richard felt a moment of panic as he realised that he would probably never get another chance like this to be completely alone with Audrey. "Audrey, wait." He said. She stopped and turned to look at him, a slender eyebrow raised inquisitively. Suddenly, now being face to face with her, he couldn't think of the words to express what he wanted to say. There was so much he wanted to say to her, to tell her, but he just couldn't find the words. And in that moment, he leant forward and pressed his lips lightly to hers.

He felt her sharp intake of breathe and felt her raise her hand to his chest. He was sure she was going to push him away; sure that he had overstepped the mark. He had no idea what had possessed him to push their fragile relationship this way, especially when they had just made up after their worst argument to date.

He had braced himself for rejection, however what he had not braced himself for was acceptance. The hands he expected to push him away curled around the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer. The lips he expected to chastise and reprimand him, pressed more firmly against his, kissing him back. As he wound his arms around her waist he felt her deepen the kiss, taking control of the situation as she so often did.

When they finally broke away from each other, Richard looked into Audrey's cobalt eyes that seemed to glisten as a gentle smile illuminated her face. After a minute, they both let go of each other and stepped back. There would be no great declarations of love tonight. No passionate proposals or the beginning of an adoring affair. Tonight, was just a silent admission of long repressed feeling that was both shared and returned. They had plenty of time to express their love to one another, but for tonight it was enough just to finally know for sure how the other felt.

As the two walked away, disappearing around the corner, Claudine emerged from her hiding place with a beaming smile on her face, as she thought back to her previous visit.

_You should think about it; you are perfectly matched._

**I think that has to be the fastest I've ever wrote a chapter. These chapters would have been posted sooner but I've been having a bit of trouble getting my files to download. Finally after a few hours of trying my laptop has cooperated and you've got two chapters as an apology for the long absence. So I have an epilogue that I'm trying to decide whether or not to do, but I think I'll decide that in the morning because I feel just about ready to drop. I just wanted to get these two chapters posted and now I have I can finally get some sleep. Please leave me some feedback on this chapter and whether or not you'd be interested in an epilogue for this chapter (or if you think I should leave it as I've bored you enough already (;)**


	13. Epilogue

Dropping her pen carelessly on to the ever increasing stack of invoices marked with an 'urgent', Claudine sighed and flopped back into the comforting arms of her leather desk chair. She'd been working through the masses of paperwork that seemed to have accumulated during her absence and after an entire morning, the columns of numbers all seemed to merge together into one fuzzy blob.

Rubbing a particularly stiff and aching spot in the back of her neck, she contemplated taking a much desired holiday. She had been working tirelessly trying to keep the Dutoit Empire afloat, especially when the currant recessions threatened to drown her and all she had built. So far she had been lucky and had managed to remain virtually unscathed, however not all had been so fortunate. Glancing down at the file before her, she sighed as she observed such a fate that had occurred, causing her many sleepless nights and countless more sat behind this very desk.

Cavendish.

Since her last visit to Grantleigh several weeks ago, it appeared that Devere had come crashing back down to earth as his board tried to throw him from his own seat of power, causing a shake-up that's tremors could be felt by Europe's business world. She had listen to the gossip with avid interest, as she heard of Devere's fall and rise, thanks to the support of a fellow tycoon, Grevel Hartley, whom she had only heard of through reputation.

However, fate was not finished with him yet. As soon as he appeared to have weathered the troubled waters a vicious storm took him by surprise, finally defeating the once powerful businessman. Grevel Hartley died in his sleep. _Heart. _

It seemed ironically cruel that the silencing of the old man's heart had torn Devere away from his own. He had made the impossible decision between pride and love, one which Claudine did not envy him for, and in the end pride won. Grantleigh Manor was to be sold at auction a few weeks later and the Lord of the Manor was to trade in the rolling hills of Surrey for the towering skyscrapers of London.

The one consolation was that Audrey fforbes-Hamilton had inherited her late, and wealthy, uncle's fortune, giving her the funds to purchase the Manor back. Claudine had been surprised to learn that Grantleigh was in fact Audrey's ancestral home (the fforbes-Hamilton's had resided there for 400 years!) and was ecstatic that Audrey was able to reclaim part of her heritage.

However, this was not the sole reason for Claudine's delight. She had heard tantalising whispers on the grapevine that made her toes curl with excitement. Rumour had it that Devere no longer resided in London and had returned to the countryside. That he was to exchange the cold boardroom of Cavendish for the warm embrace of marriage. She had heard nothing confirming this rumour, no face had been given to this mysterious bride-to-be, however the document she received a matter of days ago informing her of the impending dissolution of Cavendish Foods was a very telling sign that there was some truth to the rumours. And after her last stay at Grantleigh, she was almost convinced that she knew the identity of the new Mrs Devere. Only time would tell whether she was correct or not. With new vigour, she returned to her invoices, determined to reclaim some much desired desk space.

She had barely begun reading over the latest sale figures when there was a gentle knock at the door. Her assistant, Marie-Anne, entered silently carrying a small pile of letters in her hands. She smiled apologetically as she handed Claudine the letters, turning to leave in the same silent manner in which she had entered.

"Merci." Claudine said as she scooped up the pile. She sighed as she flicked through them, disregarding those which could be dealt with at a later date. As she came to the last one, however, her curiosity grew. Plain white envelope. Stiff. An invitation perhaps? Then she noticed the small postage mark and stamp in the corner of the envelope, informing her that it had been sent from England. Turning it over in her hands and slowly opening the seal with her index finger, she tried to think of any social functions in England that she attended, however she could not think of any until the very end of the year.

Removing the ivory card, a small gasp of delight escaped her lips as she read the beautiful swirling writing. All her speculating and wondering was finally answered in the few simple words the graced the card.

_You are invited to attend the wedding of_

_Richard Devere_

_and_

_Audrey fforbes-Hamilton_


End file.
